Railway braking apparatus



H. lL BONE *RAILWAY B RAKgNG APPARATUS Filed Deo, A1927 m ,ww @N Patented Get. 7, 1930 UNITED STATI-1S]` PATENT oFFIcE HERBERT L; Bonn, Aor PIfrfizsisrntcuei,` rnNNsYLvANIA, AssIeNoN 'ro THE UNION swrroir a sIGN'AL coMrANY, or swIssvALE, `PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or `PENNSYLVANIA Y RAILWAY 'BRAKING errArairUsiv Application filedl December 8, 1927. Serial No. 238,550.`

l p. My invention Vrelanes to railway braking apparatus, and particularly to apparatus cf the type comprisingtrackway mechanism adapted to engage a part of a railwayvehicle.V

t` I Vwilldescribe oneform of railway braking apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claim.

The, accompanying ldrawing is a view,`- partly f-diagrammatic, illustrating, one iorm` of .railway lbraking apparatus embodying myinvention. i

Referring to the drawing, the `reference characters l and .4a designate the `two track lrai'ls of astretchof railway track provided with trackway braking mechanism. In the form here shown, this mechanism comprises two braking bars 5.andA 6, located onopposite CTI i sides of the rail 4- and arrangedto engage the along the track. u Two` similar braking bars 5a and@a are located track rail 4a.. Y

The braking bars 5, 6,5a and 6?, are controlled by a fluid pressure motor device designated by the reerencecharacterjA. As here shown, this motor device comprises a cylinder lfcontaining a reciprocable piston 2. This-piston carriesa `plunger 3, whichis operatively connected withthe-braking bars through the kmedium of link work 7, When the piston 2 isin its left-hand position, the braking bars are in their non-brakingpositions. When piston 2 is driven to its righthand position in cylinder- 1, however, the braking bars associated with each of the track `rails areurged toward the corresponding rail so as to engage the sides of the wheels ot a railway vehicle, bars 5 and 5a moving toward the left. l The reference character B vdesignates va magnet valve comprising a valve stem 8 provided with an armature 8a and a winding .9.

"Y: When winding 9 is energized, the left-hand f oppositesides of a wheel` of a car passing D onV opposite sides of the' toward the right, and bars 6 and Ga'moving ply of fluid pressure `-from pipe 10 to the lefti hand end of cylinder 1 is discontinued. A

second. valve .C comprises a valve stem 8 which 1s valso provided with a winding 9 and an armature 8a, and is so arranged that when w1nding9 is de-energized cylinder"` 1 on the left-hand side of piston 2 is connected with atmosphere through pipe 14, valve C and port 11. 1f, however, winding 9 is ener ized,

valve stem 8 isdrawn downwardly to lankpipe 141 and prevents the escape of Huid pressure from cylinder 1. A third valve, desig-V nated by the referenceV characterll), controls.

the supply of -luid pressure to the right# hand end of cylinderl. When winding 9 of this valve is de-energized, pipe'12 communicating with theright-hand end of cylinder 1 is connected 'y with atmosphere through port 11. When winding 9 of valve moved downwardly'and pipe 12is discon-` nected from port 11 andis connected with a source of iiuid pressure through pipe 10.

is energized, however,valve stem `8 isV The three valves B, C and D, are controlled l inpart by three automatic circuit controllers E, F and G, each comprising a pressure responsive unit 16 such, for example, as a Bour don tube, which. controls a contact 17, `so

that when the pressure in the Bourdon tube 16 exceeds` apredetermined amount, the cony tact 17 will be open. Each foi? the Bourdon tubes 16 is connected with the lett-hand end of cylinderl through a pipe 15, but the parts are so proportioned that the circuit controllers E, F, and'Gr operateat different pressures.A For purposes of eXplanatiom'I will assume that all of the circuit controllers E, F and G are closed at pressures below lbs. per square inch. At all pressures above 25 lbs. per square inch, circuit controller Gr` isopen; at all pressuresabove lbs. per square inch, circuit controller' F isv open, at all pressures above lbs. per squareinch, circuit controller Eis open. Y 'f The reference character K designates a manually operable circuit controller comprising a pivoted lever 18 and a plurality of iixed contacts 21, 22, 23 and 25 which may be selectively engaged bythe lever 18, depending upon its position. The circuit controller K also comprises a'contact segment 20, so disposed that when lever 18 engages `contacts 21, 22 or 23, the lever will also engage the segment 20. Contact 18-20 may also be closed without closing any other contact.

Carried on lever 18 is a push button jdesigl'-kv nated by the lreference character 19. This push button is normally closed, but is an ranged to be opened manually. Y

As shown in the drawing, all of the valves B, C and D, are cle-energized, and the piston is therefore closed to blank pipe 14 and'prevent theescapeA of iuid pressure from the lefthand end of cylinder 1. Furthermore, current flows from battery J, through wire 26,

pushbutton 19, wire 18a, lever 18, segmentv 20, wires 27 and`31, contact 17 of circuit controllerGr, wires 32, 33, 34 and 35, Winding 9 of valve' B, and wires- 36 and 29 back to bat tery J. Valve B therefore opens, and fluid pressure is'supplied to the left-hand end of cylinder 1, forcing piston 2,and plunger 3 carried thereby-to the right, and urging the braking bars into their brake applying posi! tions. Ifthe track rails 4 and 4n lare occupied by a railway vehicle, the' braking bars will engage the 'flanges of the wheels with; a forceV which depends upon the pressure supplied to cylinder 1. Vhen this pressure reaches 25lbs.

per square inch, the contact 17 of circuit controller G opens, thereby interrupting the circuit ust traced for Winding 9 of valve B and interrupting the supply of pressure to cyl-` inder 1. If the pressurein cylinder 1 is decreased,as by leakage past the piston 2, to a value-below 25 lbs. per square inch,circuit controller Gimmediately closes and restores the pressure to the proper value.

Should the operator wish to increase the braking force applied to the braking bars in the trackway to lbs. per 'square inch he moves lever 18 into engagement with contact The lever still engages segment 20 and so valve'Cis still closed. The circuit just traced `for winding 9 of valve B is also closed, but a new circuit is now closed from battery J, through wire 26, push button'19, wirer18a, lever 18, contact 23, wire 37, contact 17 of circuit controller F, wires 38, 33, 34 and 35, winding 9 of magnet valve B, and wires 36 and 29 back to battery J. The valve B is now energized over this new circuit so that fluid pressure is supplied to cylinder 1 until the To accomplishA pressure in the left-hand end of the cylinder reaches 50 lbs. per square inch. Circuit controller F then opens. rThe pressure in the left-hand end of cylinder 1 is thereafter maintained at the proper value, as explained in connection with circuit controller G. 1n similar fashion, if lever 18 is moved into engagement with contact 22, magnet valve B is energized over contact 17 oci-rcuit controller E, so that the pressureinthe left-hand end of cylinder 1 will then be maintained at 75 lbsp'er square'inch. The circuit tor valve B will then belrom battery J, through wire 26, pushcbutton 19, wire 18, lever 18, contact 22, wire 39, contact 17 of circuit controller E, wires 40, 34 and 35, winding 9 of valve B, and wires 36and 29 back to battery J. Finally, when lever 18 is moved into engagement with contact 21, current flows from battery J, through wire 26, pushv button 19, wire 18a, lever 18, contact 21, wires 41 and 35, winding 9 of valve B,'and wires 36 and 29, back to battery J. lt will therefore be plain that when the lever 18 is in this position, the control of magnet valve B is independent of the pres- Y sure existing in cylinder 1 and that the full amount of pressure available in pipe 10 will' be admitted to the luidpressure motorA to givea maximum braking effect.

I will now assume that the lever 18 is in engagement with contact 21, so that full braking pressure is vexerted by the braking apparatus, and that the operator wishes to reduce the braking force to a lower value, as for Yexample to that corresponding'to a pressure of 25 lbs. per square inch in the lefthand'end'of the cylinder 1. To accomplish this,the operator moves lever 18 into a positionwhere it engages only segment 20. Valve C is still closed, and valve B is .also

closed because contact 17 of circuit controllerA C is now open.v vThe operator then opens push button 19. As a result, the circuit is opened for magnet valve C, which valve imf mediately opens and vents the left-hand end o'i' cylinder 1 to atmosphere. The operator continues this operation until the pressure in the left-hand end of cylinder 1 is somewhat below 25'lbs. per square inch. vThe pushy button 19 theny released, so that the Vircuit is vagain closed 'for valve C which valve immediately closes. The pressure in cylinder 1 is now below 25 lbs. per square inch, so that contact 17 of circuit controller G-'is closed and valve B opens to raise the pressure in the cylinder to 25 lbs. per square inch. The operation of the apparatus for accomplishing a reduction in braking pressure from any higher pressure to any lower pressure will be readily understood from the C, the circuit for valve B is also opened, no .2.1"

lUO

matter what the pressure in the cylinder may be. It follows that only one of valves B and C can be open at any one time so that it is impossible to waste more than one cylinder i'ull ot' air at one time.,

If the Operator wishes to restore the braking bars to their ineiiective positions, he first moves lever 18 to the position in which it is illustrated inthe drawing. All contacts of'tlfie circuit controllerl K are then open, so that valve B is closed and valve C is open. Theileft-hand end of cylinder 1 isV therefore connected with atmosphere. The operator next moves lever 18 into engagement with Contact 25. Current thenilows 'from battery J, through wire 26, push button 19, wire 18, lever 18, contact 25, wire 30, winding 9 of valve I), and wire 29 back to battery (I. Valve stem 8 of valve D there- I i'ore moves downwardly and fluid pressure is supplied to the right-hand 'end of cylinder 1. Piston 2 is-tlierc'fore driven to the left and the brakingbars are moved to their noni Vbraking positions. With the braking appaf ratus thus released, the operator may return lever 18 to the position shown in the drawing, thereby de-energizing valve D and reerable distance from the foregoing elements and having two normally open vcontacts the first of which may be closed Without closing` cluding said first manually operable contact as well as a line Wire anda common return wire, a first circuit for said second winding including said iirst manually operable con tact and said line and common wires as well y as theiirstoi said pressure responsive contacts, and a second circuit for said secondV winding including said second manually op-` eiable contactanda second 'linewireias Well l as the second of said pressure responsive con-` tacts and said common Wire.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature. Y

HERBERT L. BONE.

storing the apparatus toits normal condi-l i tion.

It will be vobserved that the control circuit. vfor valveB over contact 17 of circuit controller Gr, and thel control circuit for valve C both include the same wires from the circuit controller `K to the brake controlling magnets.` With this arrangement it is unnecessaryl to provide a separate contacten the circuit controller and a separate line wire for the 25 lb. control circuit of valve Since in actual practice the circuit controller K will usually be placed at a central control point from which a number of braking mechanisms are controlled, and since the braking mechanism may lie at a considerable distance from the control point, it will be seen that the saving of one line wire Yfor each such mechanism is a :feature of great economy.

i Although I have herein shown and described only one form of railway brakingV apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modiiications may vbe Vmade therein within the rscope of theappenoled claim without departing from the spirit and scope of vmy invention.

Having I claim is:

Railway braking apparatus comprising a braking bar located in the trackway, a iiuid pressure motor for operating said bar, a iirist winding controlling the admission oiiiuid to said motor7 a second Winding controlling the exhaust of fluid from said. motor, at .least two contacts selectively responsive to diiierent pressures in said motor, a manually 0perable circuit controller located-at a considthus described my invention, what 

